Conversation I'm amazed I'm apart of ......

Background. The boy is on a school choir trip this weekend. At the mandatory parent meeting last week, the principal spoke to all of us and told us the three things our children couldn't do while on this trip were to use drugs, drink alcohol and to have sex. She also told us that no matter if we thought out child would not do any of those things, we still needed to talk to them. Being the rule follower I am, I made sure to discuss all those things with him (because, you know, I never had before -- heh). So on the way to drop him off on Thursday morning, I found myself having this conversation:

Me: Bud, remember not to drink, do drugs, smoke or have sex. Please just don't do any of those things while on this trip because I don't want to get a phone call.

Boy: They didn't say don't smoke.

Me: They didn't?

Boy: No, but maybe that was covered by don't do drugs.

Me: Yeah, you are probably right. But don't smoke anyway. It'll ruin your voice.

pause

Boy: Are you sure I can't do the last thing?

pause again while I think back to what the last thing on the list was

Me: God no. Don't do the last thing.

Boy: Okay ma. Are you sure?

Me: I'm sure.

Boy: Okay, I won't.

Me: Thanks.

....is it really that easy???? (wink)

Humor

I'm incredibly lucky to have two kids with spectacular senses of humor. I need to remember that.

Last Friday they went to see Santa. My rule is they've got to get their picture made with Santa until they are 18. So instead of subjecting them to standing in line to see Santa with their mother (and subjecting me to listening to them complain), I had Emily (nanny, driver, 'manager') take them. She said they were fussing and complaining away so she told them to do anything, even act crazy around Santa but just hush and get the picture done. So the boy came up with a plan and the girl went along.

Apparently they sit down on Santa's lap and the boy starts looking all cutsy, shrugs his shoulders and in a fairly feminine voice tells Santa that he wants a multi colored pony for Christmas. Santa, a little perplexed, then turns to the girl who deadpans "and I want a gun". Shocked, Santa looks at Emily who is a bit surprised they actually did it, steps back and tells Santa that they aren't hers, she only watches them. Luckily Santa has a pretty good sense of humor himself so he kept my kids there for a very long time. The boy was asking questions about the universe (So Santa, since you've been all over everywhere, how big IS the universe) and Santa was having a grand ole time goofing with them. Eventually the picture takers had to remind Santa that there was a string of little kids waiting and off my two went.

The picture is awesome. I'll post it later.

Merry Christmas.

Tis the Season

So here we are, back at Christmas. As in the past, I swore this wouldn't go bad. I'd have everything done, I'd be prepared, I have fun. Well, maybe I needed one more off year.

I was doing better this year. I did most of my shopping in November when I was in Hong Kong. I tried not to let the fact that I had the nanny decorate my tree get to me too much. But it all came crashing in this week -- I was so off. Not as off as I was a year ago but about as off as I was early fall and now I'm on 'just get through' mode.

I most get why and it is several things really. First off, I miss my dad. Second, this is the first divorced christmas and while we are making it okay -- it still is a reminder of the fact that so many things went wrong there and I'm not where I wanted to be or thought I'd be at this point. And finally, my mother. She causes me so much stress it is unbelievable. Even when I see it coming and think I can handle it, it makes so upset I've felt ill the past two days.

But the boy. The boy has been almost perfect. When I fell a little apart on Friday night he gives me a big huge like he meant it hug and told me I'd been handling all the stress very well. Said he'd never be able to do what I did and that he thought I was doing great and that I really just needed not to worry about my mother. What a darling. I kind of felt bad he had to step in and be the man but thank god he did.

SIms

My daughter is a Sims fanatic. All she does these days is play Sims. She creates families, kills them off, rearranges them, lets them do their own thing. She recreates our family in all its various incarnations.

She's quite the computer literate little thing too.

What an awesome darling.

Texas

So here I sit in a hotel room in Austin, Texas. I love Texas. I know it isn't cool to love Texas unless you happen to have been born here but I just can't help myself. I love they way they talk, I love the way it looks, I love the friendly people, I love the silly highway system, I love they names they call their cities. I just love it. I think mostly it was because a very good part of my life happened in TX so when I'm here, even if I'm not in Dallas area where I lived, I still feel very comfortable and happy.

My new job has a warehouse here in Austin and tomorrow we get to count inventory. I've not counted inventory in a very long time -- and yuck. But luckily I'm at the point of not really counting inventory but observing the counting, I'm good.

Tomorrow night we might get to go to 6th Street. Nice.

But tonight, I'm tired beyond reason. Which is really weird since I slept very well last night as well as slept a bunch on the plane (weirdest thing my LA gig did for me -- it made me a plane sleeper-- I can't seem to stay awake on an airplane (except for flights home from HK apparently)). It is almost 8pm CA time and I'm done for.

Nighty night.

Better

I guess it all just takes time. I just read the blurb I wrote last and remember. September seemed to be awful. I couldn't figure out why it was so awful but it was.

But slowly and surely I seem to be getting better. I guess it just take time when you loose a parent and finish a marriage all in one year.

October ended up being nuts. A crazy month but one that resulted in me getting a job in San Jose !! I was just about done with the weekly travel to LA. It was okay until it wasn't and when it wasn't I'd about lost my mind. I had three bad flights and knew I was done - and luckily something fell right into my lap! Wow! Maybe my karma has changed. One can hope.

But it still has been so hectic with all that. Mid October I had a week business trip in Orlando. Then came back, accepted new job, quit, worked the following week in LA and then went on vacation to Hong Kong. Came back from HK, did a final week with LA job while starting new job and the officially started new job last week. I'm exhausted thinking about the past month! Crazy.

But distracting. Which I think is good. I still need distraction I think. Oh and the working with adults all day might be fun too! That work from home bit was great until I lost all other social interaction and then it was becoming oppressive. And lonely.

But I'm good. Very good.

Unsettled

You know, I just wish the unsettled feeling would go away. I just want to feel okay. I just want to be okay.

You know, I really miss my dad. A lot. Things keep happening that I think I must remember to tell dad and then I remember I can't.

Hairspray

My new absolute favorite musical of all time. Now just to see it on a stage.

Zeus

Zeus
Originally uploaded by Tricia D

Meet Zeus. Newest member of my family. About a 4 month old little guy rescued from the middle school down the street. He's settling in nicely.

Time to Deal

I received the following text (in all its unedited glory) from my son Monday night but I did't see it until Tuesday morning.

"Hey we can talk when i get home but this school year i want to stay at your house every night except tuesday cause thats where my life is and my stuff. and every other weekend at dads and i want to fix alana. and i want to feel like i can talk to dad. I just never have felt honesty from him. And i want to have more fun cause i KNOW that will imporve my grades cause i was SO depressed last year and im sorry i didn't tell you. And TEXAS cured me"

I'm thinking thank god for Texas. Seems pretty straight forward to me. I have a feeling it will not be well received by his other parent. We can hope, however.